State of Grace: A Moonflower Cove Romance

by Addison Clarke

  “That was…wow.” Blake was still trying to catch her breath as Alexis rolled off her and laid beside her. She kissed her bare shoulder, smiling rather smugly at the breathless praise. “I have never done that with anyone before.”

  “Have sex?” She teased as Blake pinched her side playfully.

  “Come together at the same time. It was hella hot.”

  “Hell yes, it was,” Alexis smirked at Blake, who rolled her eyes before propping herself up on her elbow. It took all the restraint Alexis could muster up to not start kissing her beautiful body again.

  “You know what would be great?”

  “I can think of so many things.”

  “A bath.”

  “Mmm, I like the way you think.”

  “Give me a minute to get it ready, then join me, ok?”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  Blissfully lying on the bed, Alexis watched Blake sashay into the bathroom, turning around to give her a wink before she closed the door behind her. Alexis’s entire body tingled with the remnants of her orgasm, and she couldn’t remember a time when she’d felt so relaxed. She’d loved every minute of loving Blake. It had been so long since Alexis had a night that even came close to what had transpired, and she’d almost forgotten her body could do that.

  Hearing the running water turn off, Alexis stood and headed toward the bathroom. She avoided looking at her naked body in the full-length mirror on the wall. Alexis knew herself and knew that wouldn’t end well. The door creaked, alerting Blake to her presence. Blake was standing next to the claw-foot tub, and the smells of lavender and honeysuckle mingled together splendidly as they smiled at each other across the small room.

  “It’s almost ready.”

  “Is that a candle?”

  “It’s a bath bomb. I got it at one of the stores downtown. You like it?”

  “I love it.”

  She watched as Blake walked toward the tub and stepped in, settling into the warm, bubbly water. Extending her arm out to Alexis, Blake spread her legs as she helped Alexis into the tub. Alexis settled in between Blake’s legs and eased her back into Blake’s chest. She felt Blake’s erect nipples on her bare skin, and she contentedly sighed as she let her head fall back onto Blake’s shoulder.

  “Feels good, yeah?”

  “It does.” Alexis ran her hands up and down Blake’s legs under the water. Behind her, Blake moved her hands to her shoulders and worked on the tension knots that lined Alexis’s body. With each knead of Blake’s strong hands, Alexis couldn’t stop herself from moaning. The touch felt so good, and her entire body was reacting to it.

  “My hands can do some great work.” Blake smiled coyly as Alexis slightly turned her body so their lips could meet. Moving her fingertips slowly down Alexis’s arms, Blake covered Alexis’s hands with hers as their fingers intertwined. She kissed her neck before moving to her ear. Blake moved Alexis’s hair off her shoulder and kissed it before moving to the other shoulder for another kiss. Alexis’s toes curled as Blake’s hands moved between her legs.

  As Blake’s fingertips gently grazed her inner thighs, Alexis bent her knees and lowered herself into Blake’s touch. Alexis put her hands over her head and ran them through Blake’s long, damp hair. She found Alexis’s clit quickly as Alexis pushed her body up against Blake.

  “Oh, Blake.” Alexis moaned as she gripped the side of the tub. Blake’s fingers slowly moved in small circles on Alexis’s clit as the journey to climax increased. She grabbed onto Blake’s arms as Blake slipped her fingers inside her unexpectedly, leaving her thumb on her clit. “Holy shit. Right there, Blake. Yes!” Alexis pressed her whole body as close to Blake as she could get. Her body pulsated around Blake’s fingers as she increased her pumping. “Blake, please.”

  Her breathing became more labored as she stood on the edge of the cliff, ready for her orgasm to come. Blake moved her hands at a faster pace, willing to give her what she wanted. She kissed Alexis’s ear before taking her earlobe between her teeth. Alexis gasped as she tightened her grip on Blake’s arms. Once again, lowering her body into Blake’s touch, Blake’s hand cupped around her breast before slowly inching down her body. Arriving at a spot on her lower abdomen, Blake pressed hard as Alexis felt her curl her fingers inside of her.

  “Blake.” Alexis moaned as Blake pressed down harder, curling her fingers more. Success happened unexpectedly as Alexis’s body arched, causing her breasts to rise from the water as water splashed out of the tub and onto the hardwood floor. “Oh my god! Oh, Blake! Oh!” She’d always been loud during sex, but Blake sent her over the edge in more ways than one. Alexis tightened her grip on Blake’s arms once more as she brought her knees closer to her body while Blake kept pressing down. “Blake!”

  Alexis came in such euphoria that she immediately knew she never wanted to experience that again except with Blake. Her body had exploded in one swift movement and come back together at all once, leaving every limb limp. Once she caught her breath, Blake slowed her fingers down as she rubbed Alexis’s clit. Alexis grabbed Blake’s hand quickly, keeping her from moving inside of her.

  “I can’t take another orgasm right now.” She was breathless; her body limp against Blake’s. “If you move your hand, I know that’s what’s going to happen.”

  Blake slowly eased back into the tub, pulling Alexis closer to her with her free hand. Alexis’s trembling legs extended slightly out in front of her as she rolled her head back to kiss Blake. She caressed Blake’s cheek in her hand as she studied her sky-blue eyes that held so much love for her it made Alexis want to weep with happiness.

  “Can I have my hand back now, please?”

  Grudgingly, Alexis nodded as Blake kissed her nose. Blake removed her hand slowly, and the sensation elicited a cry of pleasure from Alexis. She brought Blake’s hand to her chest, laying her palm between her breasts. Alexis knew her heartbeat had to be faster than a bunny being chased by a fox.

  After a few silent moments, their breathing returned to normal, and Alexis stood and got out of the tub. She extended her hand to Blake to help her out. Blake grabbed a bath towel from the linen closet by the bathtub and handed it to Alexis before taking one for herself. Neither woman spoke, blissfully exhausted as they dried each other off before heading back into the bedroom. They changed into t-shirts and pajama bottoms, laughing they each preferred the same nighttime attire.

  Taking hold of Alexis’s hand, Blake pulled her onto the bed beside her. They cuddled up beside each other as Alexis settled her forehead in the crook of Blake’s neck and breathed in the smell of the lavender that lingered on her skin. Wrapping their arms around each other as if it was something they had done every night, the two started drifting off to sleep.

  Those three potentially dangerous words lingered on Alexis’s lips as she drew small circles on Blake’s arm with her fingertips. Never in her twenty-seven years of life had Alexis ever muttered those words to anyone but Harper and her best friends. Never once to anyone she loved because, until Blake, Alexis had never been in love.

  “Blake?”

  “Hmm?”

  “I love you.”

  She heard Blake’s breath catch in her throat as she sat up slightly. Blake kissed her softly, and Alexis’s smile formed as they kissed.

  “I love you, too.”

  Alexis could have stayed in Blake’s sleepy embrace forever. Their legs and arms were a delicate weave that Alexis would never have thought would be comfortable. Blake’s legs were wrapped around Alexis, keeping her close to her body. One of her arms was wrapped around Alexis’s waist, and the other was under Alexis’s neck. Her arms were squished somewhere between their bodies, and Alexis never wanted to move.

  The phone on the nightstand had other ideas for the morning.

  It had been continuously vibrating for a good five minutes as Alexis finally forced her eyes open. She could tell by the short vibrates that they were texts, and she assumed it was Sophia or Emily, or more likely, both asking her how the nigh
t went. They were nosy, but they loved her. Alexis didn’t want her perfect night and perfect morning to come to an end yet, answering the phone would mean that she’d be back in reality.

  “Leave it.” Blake pulled her as close as she could to stop Alexis from getting up.

  “What if it’s Harper?”

  “Isn’t she with Sophia and Emily?”

  “Yes, but,” Alexis reluctantly pulled her arms free from Blake’s embrace, “they wouldn’t text unless it was an emergency. I gotta get it.”

  Placing a kiss on her lips, Alexis rolled out of Blake’s embrace as her bare feet hit the cold floor. The chill of the morning made her whole body shiver. Alexis picked up the phone, and her heart sank to the floor. There were over twenty missed messages and phone calls from Sophia and Emily. Quickly opening up the message thread from Sophia, Alexis fought the urge to throw up.

  Sophia’s screenshots were an article posted about Blake’s show being picked back up and due to resume filming in a few days. While that news alone wasn’t a bombshell to her, the part that ripped Alexis’s heart out were the three pictures posted at the top of the tabloid article. One had the caption, “A summer fling for Calloway,” which made her stomach churn. They were snapped at the restaurant last night, and Alexis knew then what a terrible idea it was to go out in public with Blake.

  “What the fuck is this?” Turning the phone around, Alexis showed Blake the picture that was already burned into her brain. Blake was up and sitting on the edge of the bed within seconds. She reached out for the phone and grabbed it from Alexis. Her eyes quickly scanned the screen as she stood and ran her hand through her hair.

  “No.” Blake shook her head as she paced in front of the bed. “No, no, no.”

  “Blake, what the fuck?” Snatching the phone out of Blake’s hand, Alexis fired off a text for Sophia to come and pick her up. “How did my picture get plastered over the internet without my permission or hell, even knowing that it was being taken?”

  “I have no idea, Lex. I didn’t know about them either.”

  “And that article? It mentions that you’re going to be in a spin-off series. Is that true?”

  “I don’t know.” Blake shook her head. “I told you everything I knew last night. The only thing Salem said was that it was a TV movie. I mean,” she grimaced as she shrugged, “she mentioned the new studio had talked about a spin-off, but I haven’t signed on for anything.”

  “This article seems to indicate otherwise.”

  “And you’re going to believe that article over me?”

  “I don’t know what I believe right now.” Frustrated, Alexis ran her hands through her hair before sitting down on the stiff chair between the bed and the balcony door. Her head was spinning. She’d believed Blake last night; she’d believed her when she said they could work things out. Alexis knew they could; she knew they could make things work between them, it was the outside world she had her doubts about.

  Alexis wasn’t sure if the Hollywood life was something she could handle.

  With her picture plastered all over the internet for everyone – including her rapist – to see, Alexis had to seriously think about whether having it be a common occurrence was something her mental health could handle. Her sweaty palms and rapid heartbeat were clear indicators she could not take it.

  “Lex, come on. It isn’t a big deal.” Blake got on her knees in front of Alexis and took hold of her hands. “In the grand scheme of things, this picture isn’t the worst thing. You can barely see your face.”

  “That’s not the point.”

  “Meaning?” Blake tilted her head at her.

  “Meaning that now my name is forever out for the world to know where I am. For my rapist to know where I am.” Alexis gritted her teeth and begged the tears not to fall. “This time, it was a picture of us kissing in a restaurant, but what if we were out with Harper and someone snapped a picture of us and plastered it all over the internet? Have you ever thought about that?” She scoffed. “I mean, hell, I didn’t think about it until now, and, I have to be honest, Blake, I don’t know if I like it.”

  “What does that mean?” The emotion in Blake’s voice was almost palpable. Her voice cracked, and tears clouded her blue eyes. “Lex, please. I love you.”

  “I love you too, but I haven’t been thinking about Harper. All this time, I’ve been so blind to falling in love with you that I forgot Harper is my first love. She has to come first and if I had been thinking about her and not of myself, I would have realized the risk of dating you a lot sooner.”

  “Lex, please.” Blake took hold of her arm as Alexis spun around to look at her. Tears were streaming down her face, and Alexis resisted the urge to wipe them away as she packed up her belongings. “Don’t leave like this. Let’s talk. Please.”

  “I need time to think.” The words were barely a whisper as they left Alexis’s mouth. She avoided looking into Blake’s eyes. One look into them, and she knew the walls she could feel rebuilding around her heart would begin to crumble all over again. She needed to be mad, to be hurt, and to process. Pushing Blake away, Alexis gathered her dress off the floor, stuffed it into the duffle bag, and pulled out a pair of sweatpants. “I knew our lives were different, but this feels like more than I’m ready or able to take on right now. It’s a lot. I need to think.”

  Slinging the duffle bag onto her shoulder, she headed for the door with Blake’s quick footsteps behind her. Alexis was thankful that the elevator doors were already open, and she stepped inside and hit the button for the first floor. On the other side of the elevator’s threshold, Blake stopped walking, and their eyes locked once more.

  When the doors closed, Alexis frustratingly slammed her hand on the back of the elevator. She hated herself for letting her guard down. She hated that she’d happily worn blinders about her and Blake’s relationship. Their lives were too different, and suddenly there were pictures of the two of them plastered all over the internet. When the elevator doors dinged open, Alexis wasn’t the least bit surprised to find that Blake had sped down the stairs to beat her to the first floor.

  “Blake, please. Leave me alone right now.”

  “Lex, please.” Blake grabbed onto her wrist tightly, but Alexis didn’t stop walking. She didn’t dare turn to face Blake. Alexis knew that if she did, Blake’s sad blue eyes were going to be impossible to drag her eyes away from again. Finally, the inn’s automatic doors opened, and Alexis let out a sigh of relief at the sight in front of her.

  “Let her go.” Sophia stepped out of the Tesla and walked over to them with more control than Alexis would have expected from her in the current situation. Blake did as she was told, and Alexis went to Sophia.

  “Sophia, please, let me explain.”

  “I knew something like this would happen.” Wrapping her arm around Alexis’s shoulder, she held her close in a protective way. Sophia could have wrestled a tiger at that moment, Alexis was sure of it. “I should have protected you from her.”

  “From me?” Blake’s face showed pure shock. “I didn’t do this. I knew nothing about the pictures. You know how paparazzi are. This wasn’t my fault.”

  “Mmm, I’m sure it isn’t.” She snarled the words at Blake. “You know, I didn’t want to trust you. Something always felt off about you. But Alexis asked me to give you a chance, and I did, and you fucked it up. Big time.”

  “God, if either of you would shut up long enough for me to explain.”

  “No!” Sophia pulled herself away from Alexis and pointed a finger at Blake. “It appears to me that Alexis has made it very clear that she doesn’t want to talk to you right now. So, unless you want new pictures on the internet of me calling the cops on you, I suggest you leave her alone.”

  As Sophia said the words, Alexis felt her heart shattering. She’d wanted to trust Blake; hell, she had trusted her. But having a life under a spotlight wasn’t something that Alexis thought she could do. Her feelings for Blake had so blinded her that she hadn’t seen far e
nough into their future to see that something like this could happen. Tabloids were always looking for a great picture, and Alexis knew that.

  She just didn’t know if she wanted to be on the other side of the camera.

  “Come on, Soph. I want to go home.” Taking Sophia’s hand in hers, Alexis turned and headed for the Tesla. Her hand was on the door before she heard the sob escape Blake’s lips.

  The words were barely audible, but they pierced Alexis’s heart. “Lex…please don’t go.”

  Not looking back, Alexis got into the car, and Sophia sped away before their seatbelts were even buckled. The ride home was quiet. Sophia placed a hand on her knee and left it there as they drove, and it said more than any words ever could. When they arrived at the apartment, Alexis watched Sophia change the passcode on the door before heading up the stairs.

  “Blake doesn’t know the code.”

  “This is to keep everyone out today. Come on.” Placing an arm around Alexis’s waist, Sophia led her up the stairs. “Emily’s with Harper. She’s had breakfast, and they’re in our apartment. Let’s go get you showered and changed into more comfortable clothes, ok, mon amour?”

  Alexis only nodded. It was all she could do.

  The pieces she’d worked so hard to painstakingly put back together were once again in shards around her feet.

  Nothing she said now would change any of that.

  Chapter 31

  Before she had time to second guess her decisions, Blake ran back up the stairs, gathered her things, and headed for Alexis’s apartment. She had no idea what exactly she wanted to say, but she wanted to be able to explain to her what happened. Blake had promised to protect Alexis and Harper. She’d told Alexis she would never do anything to hurt her. She knew how hard it was for Alexis to open up to her and let her into Harper’s life; Alexis had trusted her.

  And yet Blake had hurt Alexis, however unintentionally.